West Ham United told to avoid ‘foolish’ Julen Lopetegui decision after loss v Chelsea
Chris Sutton has told West Ham United they would be “foolish” to sack Julen Lopetegui at this moment in time.
The new Hammers boss has come under pressure from supporters and pundits alike following the Irons’ disappointing start to the Premier League season, including the 3-0 defeat to Chelsea last time out.
Although BBC Sport pundit Sutton admits he has been worried by the Hammers’ performances so far this term, he doesn’t think a change in the dugout will be the right solution to West Ham’s problems.
Speaking on It’s All Kicking Off (23 September, 21:55) he said: “It’s been a worrying start, it’s not free-flowing football that’s good on the eye.
“Look, I think West Ham would be foolish to make a change right at this moment in time and Lopetegui has proven himself as a manager in the past.
“But I think West Ham fans are starting to ask questions.”
Will West Ham sack Julen Lopetegui amid London Stadium developments?
The suggestion from within West Ham at this moment in time is that Lopetegui isn’t under any immediate pressure from the powers at be at the London Stadium, despite the Hammers’ miserable start to the campaign [Fabrizio Romano, 22 September].
Lopetegui was backed heavily in the summer transfer window and while it isn’t clear how many of the signings were his or Tim Steidten’s targets, it would make little to no sense to sack a manager after handing him upwards of £100million.
If this poor run of form was to continue up until Christmas, then maybe the board would have a big decision to make. At the moment, however, the former Real Madrid manager deserves time to turn things around.
While the fixtures don’t get any easier for the Irons as they face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup next, there are plenty of winnable games to be played in the coming weeks of the Premier League season.
If Lopetegui and the Hammers can begin picking up a few more points, any talk of a potential sacking will quickly die down.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers have been told to be “careful what they wish for” after a Moyes return was mooted
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